April 13, Wednesday: 55 pounds up Mount Si

Distance: 12.8 km 

Time: 8 hours.

Weight: 24-pound backpack, 20 pound weight vest; 10 pounds of garments, including  ski pants

Weather: Slight chill becoming comfortable, with sun and overcast

Elevation gain: Washington Trails Association says it's 3150*.

Accumulation elevation gain for 2016: 24,944 feet.

Accumulated distance hiked: 203.43 km
Food consumed during hike: 1 hard-boiled egg, several mini candy bars; some dates and pecans.

Notes: This hike was intended to practice shooting bearings, taking altimeter readings with my phone app, and possible testing the weather proofing of my garments. It didn't rain, so the clothing didn't get the acid test. At the end of the hike I was exhausted, and my boots didn't help; they proved to be need more cushioning. My knees and feet hurt, and the muscle at my right shoulder blade was very tight. I had difficulty turning my neck to drive home.

Altimeter readings: 

• At car, 189 meters in morning, 193 at end of day. Altimeter readings at lookout perch (bottom of boulder field at top) was 1157, or 3,181 feet. *Washington Trails Assn gives the gain at 3,150. I can live with a 30-foot discrepancy.
• At one mile mark: 434 meters on ascent, 436 on descent.
• Snack bar: 514 on both ascent and descent.
• At 1.7 miles, 612 meters
• At Snag Flats, 618 meters
• At log bank, 715 meters
• At 3 mile marker, 904 meters
• At 3.5 mile marker, 1,157 meters

Mountains and freeway viewed from lookout on Mount Si, just below the boulder field. I shot bearings on several peaks. From the left they were 54 degrees, 90, 114 (the pointy peak in the center of the photo) and 124 (the far right peak).

 Leave summit at 2:30 p.m.; Map My Hike declares four miles after I have begun the descent.

Pulse: Top readings were 144 and 148.

Getting bearings: I realized that my sense of direction was quickly contradicted by the compass. It was a lesson in the potential unreliability in directions without using an instrument. At the summit I took bearings on three peaks, one at 114 degrees, one at 134, one at 90 and one at 54.

The hiking boots I used for this hike. They are very water proof, having been worked with mink oil. However, they are very hard on the feet. I need to get well-cusioned inserts, and then I should still limit their use to snow, not hard trails. I used these on Mount Adams in 2011 and they were fine. I think I also used them in 2015, but I'm not certain of that.